WILMINGTON, ILLINOIS — An Illinois electrician is sharing his story after he became trapped for hours inside a truck stop sign more than 130 feet above the ground during a service call last month.
A.J. Gow was working inside an elevated sign at a Petro truck stop in Wilmington on July 21 when the lift being used for the job malfunctioned, leaving him stranded high above the ground.
Routine Sign Repair Turned Into Hours-Long Ordeal
Gow said the day began as a routine job, but conditions inside the sign quickly became difficult.
“It was a hot day. There was really no air, so I sent my co-worker down,” Gow said.
Gow said he asked his co-worker to bring him water and a battery-powered fan. But when the co-worker tried to return, the lift had a problem and could not make it back up.
At first, Gow said he was not too worried. But as the minutes turned into hours, the situation became more serious.
Worker Says He Was Inside Hot Sign Without Water
By around 2 p.m., Gow said he had been stuck inside the hot sign for about four hours without water while crews tried to fix the lift.
“Eventually, I was starting to feel like crap, and I told him, you know, call EMS,” Gow said. “I said, ‘I don’t care what you have to do, get me down.’”
Gow said he began to fear that something could happen to him while he was trapped.
Around that time, he recorded videos for his wife and children in case he did not make it down safely.
“God forbid, if something were to actually happen, it’s my final words,” Gow said. “So, essentially, a goodbye without saying goodbye.”
Firefighters Responded, Second Lift Used for Rescue
The Wilmington Fire Protection District responded to the scene.
Because Gow was more than 130 feet above the ground and trapped inside the sign structure, crews eventually used a different lift borrowed from a nearby job site to reach him.
Video from the scene later showed the equipment used to bring him down.
Aerial footage also captured Gow giving a thumbs-up while waiting to be rescued, an image that quickly gained attention.
“I was not prepared for it to get as much traction as it did,” Gow said.
Stranded for More Than Six Hours
Gow was stranded for more than six hours before he was finally brought safely back to the ground.
He said the experience was frightening in the moment, but he is grateful the rescue ended safely.
“I’m so fortunate that it turned out the way it did, and I’m able to look back in hindsight and laugh at it,” Gow said.
Gow has since returned to servicing elevated signs, but he said he is making one change going forward.
Instead of going inside the sign while working at that height, Gow said he now plans to remain inside the lift bucket so he does not risk being stranded again if equipment fails.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
